Clarity
by Aussie73
Summary: Short story based on Sam and Jack's interactions in Crystal Skull and Nemesis. A bit romantic, but more friendship based. Rated T just in case.
1. Chapter 1

**Jack's POV**

Pre-Mission

We watched the MALP make its way into a dark cavern, then pan around. The big guy and my two favorite geeks were with me, watching its progress.

"This is well over a thousand meters high," Carter said.

"And as pyramids go that's … big?" I asked. For once, I wasn't being a smart ass, but I got a look anyway. That Carter-patented 'You're being an ass with all due respect, Colonel' look.

"I know of no Goa'uld structure of that magnitude," Teal'c offered. That pretty much nixed the idea of it being Goa'uld, then.

"Definitely Mayan," Daniel said, sounding excited. _Big surprise there._ "This is a major find; I have to see this."

"Any signs of life there?" Yeah; make sure we can actually breathe before we set foot through that 'gate. I was in no mood to die; I'd come too damn close when that bitch Hathor snaked me. I drew in an uneasy breath and put my hand to the back of my neck, where a faint scar resided as a permanent reminder of that less than stellar moment.

"There is a breathable atmosphere, sir, but no complex life signs," Carter said.

The MALP entered the pyramid. It came to a huge cavern, filled with stalagmites.

"This is a major find," Carter said. "I have to see this."

"You too?"

"Well look at these readings, sir. These are leptons."

_And …? So …? Therefore …?_

"Get out," I offered sarcastically.

Carter gave a quick grin. Sometimes she was such a proper Air Force Major that we didn't get to see her sense of humor. But today she was relaxed and happy. Nice to see, actually. If anyone deserved happiness, it was the blue-eyed blonde-haired brainiac that was my Major.

No! Not my Major! Ever since I'd put snake-girl on ice, I hadn't been able to get that big hug out of my mind. I'd been freezing and was glad she'd not left me behind, yeah, but that hadn't been the only reason I'd hugged Carter.

"That means something inside this pyramid is slowing down neutrinos," Carter explained. I listened carefully, but knew that most of this was going to go right over my head. Way smarter than me. "Normally neutrinos pass right through ordinary matter, no matter how dense. I mean … something like five hundred million billion just passed through you."

I looked at her. Was that a slam? "No matter how dense?"

She didn't rise, didn't blush, didn't apologize. Major Carter was no longer at the computer; Sam was. "A material that slows neutrinos could change everything we know about physics, the formation of the universe …".

Daniel cut her off. "Wait a minute, Sam. Get … uh … get closer."

"I can't. The MALP's too big to cross the span." _Then zoom in, for cryin' out loud!_, I thought. For a scientist, she didn't know much about Occam's Razor.

"Zoom in." Daniel patently agreed with me. "On that." He pointed at the screen and Carter zoomed in. On a pink skull.

* * *

Post-Mission

I whistled cheerfully as I headed past the check-in point. Two days' down time; pretty cool. Not enough time for Minnesota, but I had a heavy session planned with the hedge trimmer and the weed whacker. Not most people's idea of fun, but sometimes it was nice to do something so mundane. Just being a regular guy, who complained about his taxes and knew nothing about posturing snake-heads trying to destroy the world.

I stepped out of the mountain and into the parking lot. The evening sun was glowing faintly, there was a nice crisp breeze and I had a new Simpsons episode to watch. All was good in Jack's world. I saw Doc Fraiser just ahead of me, trying to open her car door while weighed down with a pile of books. I'd swear the woman was tinier than usual.

Or maybe that was due to the fact that she was in civvies and sneakers instead of the heeled shoes she always wore. I sprinted over to her and lifted the books out of her arms. "Hey, Doc," I offered.

She turned. "Thank you, Colonel," she said, a slender eyebrow raised. I wondered briefly if T even realized how much he'd rubbed off on us over the last three years.

I aimed a rather charming — in my opinion anyway — smile at her. "Hey, I can be a gentleman sometimes, Doc," I offered.

"Really?" she said, getting into the car. I put the books on the passenger seat. "It's funny; you weren't being such a gentleman before when you called me … oh, what was it? Something about Napoleon, I think?"

_Crap. Crap, crap, crappity-crap._ Who snitched? "Napoleon?" I said innocently.

"See this ear, Colonel?" She pushed a hand through her hair and indicated her ear.

"And a cute little ear it is, too," I said, still trying to get out of this one.

"It's a finely-tuned bullshit detector," she said. She smiled suddenly. "You do realize your medical is due in a couple weeks' time, sir?"

_I'm a dead man._ I had visions of needles the size of staff weapons all aimed at my ass. I gave her a lame smile. "Ah, c'mon, Doc," I said. "I wouldn't razz you if you I didn't love you."

She grinned then. "Despite the fact that you're easily my worst patient, Colonel; I find it hard to not forgive you," she told me. She looked at me. "I'm having some friends round tomorrow night for a barbecue. Would you like to come? Cassie's been complaining that she's seen next to nothing of you lately."

Cassie. Damn; I loved that kid and realized that I'd missed her the last few months. "I'd like that," I said. "What time?"

"Seven," she said. "And bring some food."

"Sweet." I nodded my head and slammed the passenger door shut. "See ya tomorrow, Doc?"

* * *

**Sam's POV**

I couldn't believe that the General had kicked me off the base for the next two days. I'd really wanted to use this unexpected free time to analyze the decay rate in the naqadah generator — especially as the Colonel had already left. I liked the man, was proud to serve with him, but he distracted me.

Whether it was on purpose or if he just had a natural talent for it, I couldn't say. But whenever I was running experiments, he'd come by every so often to make me eat, then stand fiddling with paperclips, pens, my laptop until I was ready to pitch a hissy fit. A Major in the USAF doesn't have hissy fits, but the Colonel never knew how close he came to seeing one do so.

He was an enigma. He always pretended to be as dumb as a post, even though he must've known by now that no-one bought it. But occasionally, he'd say something that showed off that keen intelligence, though he usually didn't realize he'd done it.

I got into my car; at which point, my cell rang. I opened it and saw Janet's number, so answered. "Hello?"

"Oh. Hey, Sam," my best friend said. "I'm having a barbecue tomorrow night. Just some friends and Cassie, of course. Would you like to come along?"

Cassie. No longer the timid frightened little girl we'd brought back over two years ago from Hanka, she was growing into a confident young adolescent. "I'd love to, Janet," I said.

"Great. Seven o'clock, then," Janet replied. "And bring something to eat."

"Can do, Janet. See you tomorrow," I replied. I started my car and pulled out of the parking lot.


	2. Chapter 2

**Jack's POV**

Evening sunshine. An hour-long stroll to Doc Fraiser's house. Walkman with a recording of Puccini's Madame Butterfly. Heaven.

I slammed my door shut, wincing inwardly at the crashing noise in the quiet of the evening, then stuffed my hands in my pockets and made my way onto the street. I nodded at the few neighbors I passed, but they saw the earphones and didn't try to engage me in conversation.

Good. What the hell could I tell 'em about my day, anyway? 'Spent hours chatting it up with misty giant aliens who speak Mayan and hate the snake-heads as much I as do'? Nope. Not gonna happen.

I knew they were curious about me. I'd spend days … weeks, even … away from home, come home with weird injuries, or sunburn in the middle of winter. It had gotten worse since another full bird had moved into the area. He was about my age and was quite obviously a desk jockey, and he was curious as to why I was still on active duty. At least he could understand the word 'classified' … but it only gave the neighbors grist for their gossip mill.

And speaking of …

_Ah, for cryin' out loud!_ The one neighbor I'd never been able to resist. Mid seventies, even smaller than the evil doc, Mrs. Chapman made an apple/cherry combo that could make grown men spill all their secrets … even Black Ops-trained men. And she didn't care about earphones. Would just tug on your arm till you stopped to chat.

So I took out the earphones — I would've had to anyway. "Evening, Mrs. Chapman," I said, giving her my most charming smile.

"Hello, young man," she beamed. Another reason I liked her so much. Pushing fifty and she called me 'young man'. "It's nice to see you out and about. Going somewhere?"

"Barbecue at a friend's," I told her.

She patted my arm. "Good," she replied. "You spend too much time alone." She looked sad and I recalled that she'd lost her husband only six months ago — just before she'd moved to the Springs. "You look very handsome in those pants, but your hair is a mess." She put her hands on her hips and tutted. "Does the Army truly allow your hair to be so … wild?"

"Air Force," I corrected her automatically. The Army wouldn't have allowed me to have my hair like it was — hell, I'd seen Hammond cocking an eye to it. Maybe I should get it cut while I had some free time. Tomorrow.

She blinked at me. "Pardon?"

"I'm in the Air Force, not the Army," I told her.

"Really." Amazing how drawn out a two-syllable word could be. "You work in a mountain base and run around pointing nasty black weapons at people. That sounds more like the Army to me … or the Marines."

I bristled automatically at the thought of being likened to a jarhead, then I caught the wicked grin on her face. "Mrs. Chapman; are you teasing me?"

"Of course." She patted my upper arm. "My husband was in the Air Force for a long time." She looked proud. "Both he and my son served in Vietnam." She patted my shoulder this time. "Why do you think I don't press you for details about your work? I know about classified."

Come to think of it, she was one of the few people who wasn't openly curious about what I did up at Cheyenne.

"Now, dear, I don't want to make you late, but I just happen to have had a baking session today. Would your friends like my pie as much as you do?"

I pouted a little at the idea of sharing pie — even with my best friends and family — then gave in with a sigh. "They're nuts if they don't," I told her. Even T liked pie — I'd learned that much during that whole Urgo thing.

* * *

Pies — plural — in bags, I hit Janet's doorbell with my elbow. "Sam; get that, will you?" I heard Janet call. 

"Okay!" Carter replied. The door opened and … could a full bird Colonel gape? … Carter stood there. Dressed in a short denim skirt that showed off amazing legs and a sweeeeet pale blue tank top that gave an intriguing flash of bare stomach. What was with this woman and tank tops? "Colonel, hi," she said, opening the door fully.

"Hey, Carter," I offered casually, making my way past her. "Where shall I stow these?"

Nada.

"Carter?" I barked, turning to face her. I hefted the bags. "I brought food. Where shall I put it?"

She went pink and fixed her gaze on a neutral point just past my shoulder. "Sorry, sir," she said. "I'll show you to the kitchen."

"Thanks," I said, wondering how Janet had managed to pry her away from her lab. "So … finished those 'gate diagnostics yet?" I said by way of conversation.

She put her fingers to her lips. "Ix-nay on the ate-gay. Ivilians-cay."

Ah. Pig Latin. "Otcha-gay."

* * *

**Sam's POV**

As the Colonel walked past me, bearing bags full of something that smelled like heaven on Earth, I was distracted by … his very nice rear. I spent so much time with the Colonel in BDUs that I could usually forget how attractive he was. And there was that little thing about him being my CO.

Besides, I'd never been a slave to my hormones. Well … okay; except for that whole incident with the 'Touched' that we'd agreed never to discuss. So … just the once.

The Colonel usually wore very baggy clothes — things that would fit Teal'c better than him — but he'd chosen to dress in clothes that actually fit today. Black tee shirt, black jeans that weren't spray-painted on, but fit him rather nicely and black boots polished to a high sheen. The man looked like a walking sin … even with the insane hair.

I showed him into Janet's kitchen and he dumped the bags on the island counter. I began to unpack one of the bags, almost salivating at the cherry pie I unearthed. I'd put on several pounds during that whole Urgo thing, and I was determined to lose them within the week. So much for that idea. Cherry pie was my nemesis.

"You bake, sir?" I asked.

He shrugged his shoulders. Broad shoulders, not huge, but strong. Good Lord; what was the matter with me? Maybe it was time for me to get a life, as the Colonel so nicely phrased it. "Nah," he replied. "One of my neighbors. I think she's on a mission to feed me every single kind of pie in the world." The corner of his mouth tipped up into a grin.

"Oh, you poor man," I replied sarcastically.

He gave a soft laugh and I started, realizing just how rarely I'd heard the man laugh. I often forgot that his mischievous irreverent nature covered a deep sorrow that he would never overcome. I couldn't begin to comprehend the nature of his loss, but no parent should ever have to outlive their child. "Yeah; it's a raw deal, but I'm big and strong. I can handle it," he joked. He patted his stomach. "I'd swear I've put on pounds since she moved in."

"It doesn't show, sir," I said, then wished I could have bitten out my tongue. For a man his age — somewhere between forty five and dead, I guessed — his stomach was nice and flat. He'd never managed to harness the elusive six pack, much to his chagrin, but he was in fine shape.

"It doesn't?" He gave me a mischievous grin. "Sweet." Then he looked at me. "Spend much time looking at my stomach, do ya, Carter?"

I blushed — again. I don't remember ever blushing before I joined SG-1; I'd always been pretty cool and self-contained, usually coming across like some ice-maiden super-feminist bitch. "You're standing right in front of me, patting your stomach and talking about it, sir," I pointed out. "Of course I was going to look."

He didn't lose the grin at my logic. "You once said my abdomen was a miracle." He stretched his arms high above his head and turned in a slow circle. "Still think so, Carter?"

At the time, I'd been referring to the fact that the sarcophagus had completely healed the Jaffa pouch Hathor had created. But it was a pretty nice abdomen. I willed the blush away, then raked his long form. "Yes, sir," I said firmly.

* * *

**Janet's POV**

I stuffed my feet into a pair of sandals and made my way down to the kitchen to help the Colonel unpack the goodies I could smell all the way up to my bedroom. I paused just outside the kitchen as I heard him and Sam talking.

"You once said my abdomen was a miracle," the Colonel was saying. "Still think so, Carter?"

"Yes, sir," Sam replied.

The Colonel and Sam had become pretty flirty lately, although never crossing the line. I'd noticed that they were sitting closer together than usual during that briefing before the crystal skull and smiling a lot.

The flirting was harmless — they spent long periods away from home, after all — and it was nice to see Sam relaxing. She worked very hard — too hard, most of the time — and tended to forget that she was a young beautiful woman.

I'd been worried about her during those three months the Colonel had been trapped on Edora. She'd seemed determined to work herself into brain fever and had admitted to missing him. She'd denied that it was a problem, and I'd dropped the subject.

I truly hadn't wanted to know if there was something more between them than comradeship. Janet the woman, the doctor, would have been pleased if these two lonely people had found each other, but Janet the Air Force officer would have had to report them.

I cleared my throat loudly and entered the kitchen fully. "Evening, Colonel," I said, dismayed at the soft fondness I saw in the deep brown eyes as he teased Sam. I'd suspected that Sam had feelings for the Colonel, but hadn't realized that he might share them. Why hadn't I seen this coming?


	3. Chapter 3

**Jack's POV**

I turned and grinned at the doc — teasing Carter always put me in a good mood, and she blushed so damn cutely! "Evening, doc," I said, heading over to her refrigerator. "Beer in there?"

"Help yourself, Colonel," Janet advised wryly.

I pulled out a beer and handed it to Carter before grabbing one for myself. She looked at it askance, then twisted off the top and took a long pull.

"Thirsty much, Carter?" I asked.

She smiled slightly. "This is Dad's favorite beer — I got my first hangover from it," she said.

Carter hung over? Intriguing. "Bit of a wild child, huh, Carter?" I asked.

"Not really, sir; more curious," she told me. "Two sixteen year olds left in an empty house with a box of beer in the garage. A garage that belonged to then-Brigadier General Jacob Carter. You do the math."

I did, and it wasn't pretty. Jacob was quite a cool guy, now. But he was very protective of his only daughter — he'd intimated just before leaving to join the Tok'ra that if I didn't take care of Sam, he'd mop up the floor with me.

Jesus, Carter could take care of herself! She'd proven that more than once over the last few years. "Ah," I said. "Well … let's go see the kids," I added.

We headed through the kitchen into Janet's pretty garden. Considering the relish with which she usually stuck needles in my butt, she had a very gentle touch with flowers, and the garden simply burst with color. "Hey, Cassie!" I called out, spying my favorite girl staring moodily out at nothing.

She looked up from whatever she'd been looking at, and her face transformed instantly from sulky teen to loving niece. "Jack!" she yelled, sprinting across the garden and flinging her arms around me. People had often teased me about the effect I had on kids. I'd never risen. What the hell was wrong with loving kids? They were my favorite people on this or any other world.

I wrapped my arms around her and swung her round, then pretended to drop her. "A-ah! Cassie; I'm gettin' way too old for this!" I complained.

I lied. I wasn't young anymore — not by a long shot — but I kept myself in peak physical condition, and I'd been helped by the time I'd spent in sarcophaguses. Even the knee I'd blown out playing hockey during my OCS days had been cured by that horrible Goa'uld contraption of Hathor's. _Yuck._ So, although I was pushing fifty, I had the fitness and stamina of a man half my age. Pretty sweet, huh?

Cassie just giggled, then tucked her hand into mine and dragged me over to a pretty brunette in her early to mid twenties. I closed my eyes. _Oh God, Cassie … no!_, I pleaded silently. _She's a freakin' kid!_

"Hey, Chris; this is my kinda uncle, Jack. He's in the Air Force," she said. Then she pushed me onto the seat next to Chris and disappeared.

Chris eyed me over the rims of her sunglasses. "I suppose you're up at Cheyenne Mountain," she said.

"Yeah," I replied, tugging off the cap to my beer and taking a long pull.

Another look. "Funny; you don't look like the deep space radar telemetry type," she said. She smiled slightly. "I was scouted for NORAD myself based on my SATs, but I didn't feel like joining the military."

"Ah," I said. "You know; there's a strong civilian contingent at NORAD," I told her. "Nothing stopping you from reapplying."

She shrugged. "Maybe," she said. And again with the cool assessing look over the sunglasses. "So! Care to tell me a bit about yourself?" She gave me a suddenly warm smile.

"Aside from my work, I'm not that interesting," I told her. "And if I told you anything about my work, I'd have to shoot ya." Her eyes widened. "That was a joke, Chris. Most of what I've done the past dozen or so years is classified."

"Okaaaay." She gave me a quick grin. "Boy, you sure know how to kill a conversation!" She nudged me. "And I bet you're pretty interesting. When Cassie told me about her Uncle Jack, I figured you'd be some fat old fart with no hair complaining about his taxes." She looked me over and I began to feel like I was up on some kind of auction block. "So … you must be pretty high-ranking. A Major?"

"Colonel, actually," I told her.

"Colonel? You seem young for that rank," she offered. "Newly promoted?"

"Nope; nearly ten years," I said. Of course, if it hadn't been for my rebellious streak, my smart mouth, I would have likely made Brigadier by now. I shuddered. Thank God for my big mouth — I so wasn't ready to fly a desk!

Now she actually took off the sunglasses. "Okay; you're older than you look, Jack."

I was intrigued. "Why; how old did you think I was?"

"Oh … pushing forty. Maybe," she said.

I chuckled at that. "Pushing forty!" I said chidingly. "Kiddo; I'm dragging it behind me on a trailer hitch!"

"Damn." She sucked in her bottom lip between her teeth. "Then I guess I'm not going to see you naked tonight, am I?"

I blinked at the blatant suggestion in her tone. When had kids become so damn bold? "Uh … I'll pass, thanks," I said lightly. Jesus, she was practically jail bait! What the hell was Cassie thinking?

* * *

**Chris's POV**

I was pretty new to this neighborhood, having moved here a few months ago after an ugly split with my fiancé. When Cassie had invited me to meet some of her friends and family, I'd been surprised. The kid had practically adopted me as a big sister when I'd moved in, and something told me that she didn't share her family easily.

But I'd heard enough about her extended family to be curious. Then when I met them … Cassie's mom, Janet, was a tiny spitfire easily six inches shorter than me, but she had a great kick-ass attitude. Then I learned that she was Air Force and CMO of the Cheyenne base. That explained that.

Murray. A giant of a man with a weird thing for hats, he spoke little and seemed curiously naïve about things. He was built like a freakin' brick sh … and I wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of him, that's for sure!

Daniel. A civilian attached to NORAD, he was several inches taller than me, slim but strong, with sparkling blue eyes and short brown hair. Quite handsome, but didn't seem to realize it. I'd tried to talk to him, but he was pretty sullen, so I left him to it. I'd had enough of moody SOBs to last me a life time.

Then Sam. Early to mid thirties, she was a Major at the same base. Pretty young for a Major, but after talking to her for a few minutes, I could understand it. I was smart, but she was … Her IQ was probably so far off the charts they didn't even have a number for it! I'd always been interested in quantum mechanics — the whole idea of parallel universes — and we'd had several intense conversations.

And now finally … finally … I got to meet the elusive Uncle Jack. I looked up from my thoughts as a tall man came over to me — okay, was dragged over to me by Cassie — and felt a distinct wave of lust.

Late thirties, early forties, prematurely gray, soft brown eyes and a strong sexy body with a great butt shown off to perfection in black jeans. _Yay 501s_. I'd always liked older guys, and this one was a total hottie. We started talking and he revealed that he was a lot older than he looked. And called me kiddo.

"Damn." I chewed on my bottom lip. "Then I guess I'm not going to see you naked tonight, am I?"

"Uh … I'll pass, thanks," he replied, looking startled.

Too damn bad. The man looked good, smelled great and moved even better. He would likely have made for some fantastic sex. I raised my hand in a small wave to Sam and she came over. "Hey, Sam," I said. "Have you met Jack?"

"Yeah," Sam said. Her mouth curved upward in a warm smile. "We actually serve together at Cheyenne."

"Yep; she tries to explain her science babble to me, and I try to keep her butt out of the line of fire," Jack said, aiming a teasing glance at the blonde.

"Considering all the times you've been shot, sir, I wouldn't cast aspersions if I were you," Sam replied with a grin of her own.

"Is that snarkiness, Carter?" he shot back.

"Is that a word, sir?" she said, her grin widening.

I was starting to feel like the fifth wheel and I can't say I liked it. I got up and put my hand out to Jack's. "Well … it was good meeting you, Jack," I said. I scribbled my phone number onto a piece of paper and put it in his hand. "Call me sometime, huh?" Then I walked away, making sure that he got a good look at my ass in the tight jeans I wore.

* * *

**Janet's POV**

I went over to Daniel, who was sitting staring moodily out at nothing. He'd been acting strangely for a couple of weeks now — since before Skaara's rescue — but I'd not found anything medically wrong with him. "Some cake, Daniel?" I said, offering him a slice of the heavenly apple/cinnamon concoction the Colonel had brought with him.

The Colonel had told me about his neighbor when he'd been unpacking all the goodies, and I finally understood how he'd put on five pounds in less than a month. Five pounds wasn't much, especially at the Colonel's age, but it was surprising given his metabolism.

Daniel looked up and gave me a wan smile. "I'm not hungry, but thanks," he said quietly.

"Daniel; you've been in a funk for a few weeks now," I said, sitting down next to him. "Would you like to talk about it?"

"Taking on Mackenzie's mantle, are you?" he asked with a trace of bitterness. He wasn't likely to forgive the psychiatrist for what he'd gone through when Ma'chello's organisms had infected him.

"Daniel; I might be a doctor, but I'm also your friend," I told him. "You've been like this since you came back from the Tollan homeworld."

He shrugged his shoulders. "We saved Skaara; the Tok'ra came and got the snake out. I should be happy … right?" He continued. "And I am. But … I couldn't save Sha're."

I closed my eyes. Sha're had died less than six months ago at the hands of Teal'c, and it had taken Daniel a while to come to terms with that. Thankfully, he'd forgiven Teal'c for what he'd had to do, and their friendship was right back on track. One of the weirdest friendships I'd ever seen, except for the one between the Colonel and Sam. "Oh … Skaara is Sha're's brother," I now recalled.

"Yeah." Daniel gave a small smile. "Kasuf was thrilled when we brought Skaara home, but … I still failed him. He's family, and I failed him." A tear sparkled in his eye. "Sorry, Janet; I shouldn't have come tonight. I'm not very good company." He got up, then grimaced and went pale, pressing a fist into his right-hand side.

I shifted immediately into doctor mode. "Daniel; where's the pain?" I asked, pushing gently on his shoulders to sit him back down. Sometimes it was a nuisance being so damn short.

He winced, then indicated the area. "It's been grumbling for a couple of days," he admitted reluctantly, knowing that he was about to get an ear-bashing.

"Daniel; you've been on w … on the base for the last two days. You should have come to see me," I said, exasperated. One of the few things he and the Colonel had in common was their hatred of the Infirmary. But at least Daniel was polite about it. The Colonel whined and griped, and generally acted like a two year old who'd had his pacifier taken away.

"I know," he said softly. "I just thought it was residual effects from that whole phase thing, the radiation."

He doubled over suddenly, clutching at his stomach, and was violently sick. "Okay; that's it," I told him. "I'm taking you to the base."

"No arguments here, Doctor," he gasped, his face chalk-white and his eyes streaming.

I saw Sam and the Colonel sitting at the far end of the garden with Chris, one of our new neighbors. I didn't want to holler about Daniel's condition, so made my way over.

"Yep; she tries to explain her science babble to me, and I try to keep her butt out of the line of fire," the Colonel said, grinning at Sam.

"Considering all the times you've been shot, sir, I wouldn't cast aspersions if I were you," Sam replied.

"Is that snarkiness, Carter?"

"Is that a word, sir?" she said, her grin widening.

Chris looked at the two, who seemed locked in their weird game, then gave her phone number to Jack and sauntered away. Funny; I wouldn't have thought she was his type. Pretty — very pretty — but also very young.

For a brief instant, I felt like the fifth wheel — I'd swear the flirting was getting worse — then tapped the Colonel's shoulder. "Colonel; I'm sorry to have to break up the party, but I need to get Daniel back to the base. He's very sick."

The Colonel and Sam dropped their silliness instantly, exchanging concerned looks. "You go, Doc," Jack said. "We'll get these people outta here, then we'll be right behind you."

Never had I been so relieved for someone getting ill! These two were treading a damn fine line, and I did not want to be around for the fall-out.


	4. Chapter 4

_Takes place around Nemesis._

* * *

**Jack's POV**

I sauntered into the Infirmary to check on Daniel. Turned out it was appendicitis. Doc had whisked him into surgery and whipped out the thing and he was doing good now. But he wouldn't be able to go back on duty for a couple more weeks.

So that meant down-time. Two weeks of down-time. Me; I was heading for my cabin. My cabin. My lake — with no fish. There was something so … Zen about fishing. Nothing to do with fish; just the act of fishing. Sadly, no-one seemed to get it.

Then I thought about Teal'c. The big guy meditated — he'd get it. Maybe I should drag him with me one day. Land of sky blue waters, home of the loon, mosquitoes … Probably best not to mention the mosquitoes, though. Ever since that big honkin' ugly space bug on BP6-3Q1 had tried to turn him into more big honkin' ugly space bugs, T wasn't exactly fond of the things.

Huh. Can't say I blamed him.

I headed over to Daniel's bed. "Hey," I greeted him.

"Hey," he replied. Yep; we were such great conversationalists.

"How're you doin'?"

"Good …". Daniel looked at me. "Did you get your hair cut?"

"Yeah. Why?" I resisted the urge to smooth down the cowlicks I just knew were there. Even military-short, my hair tended to be chaotic.

"No reason."

"Can I see your scar?" I asked. I was in a damn good mood, and it was showing itself in childishness.

"No."

_Fine._ "Fraiser says it'll be about a week before you get out of here."

"You know; it's funny. I mean after everything we've been through these past few years. And of all things it's my appendix that lays me out …".

_Yeah. Hilarious._

"But it's not going to be a week," Daniel continued. "I mean … I practically feel fine now."

_Right. Sure. Okay!_ I decided to test him. "Wanna go fishing?"

Daniel sat up slightly, trying to hide a grimace. Considering how much damn time he spent in that bed, you'd think he'd have gotten better at it. _Oh, you hypocrite, O'Neill!_

"Actually I wouldn't ... uhh … No; you know, I think maybe I will stay here for two or three … three days."

I hid the smirk. I knew it. "Bye," I said casually and strolled out of the Infirmary.

* * *

**Sam's POV**

I pulled my welding mask over my face and set the naqadah reactor firmly on the counter, thinking with pleasure about the week ahead of me. Not that I was glad that Daniel was in pain down there, but nevertheless … It gave me a chance to catch up on the backlog of experiments waiting for me.

I yawned slightly and poured a cup of coffee, grabbing a slice of cherry pie out of the small refrigerator to go with it. Mrs. Chapman's cherry pie. I'd met the sweet little old lady a couple of days after Janet's party when I'd been returning the Colonel's empty dishes and we'd hit it off immediately.

Once I'd disabused her of the notion that I was the Colonel's 'sweetheart' — talk about embarrassing! — we'd chatted for a while, then she'd trotted into her house to emerge with two pies. One cherry for me, and one apple-cinnamon for the Colonel. "This young man told me how much you liked my pie, dear," she'd said, pressing the pie into my hands. She tutted. "And he also said you don't eat enough." She looked me up and down. "Such a pretty girl, but you're too thin."

I took a bite of the pie, giving a quiet moan as the slightly tart fruit burst in my mouth and mingled with the sweetness of the pastry, then put it to one side as I switched on the welder. Then I grinned to myself. _Five. Four. Three. Two …_

"Carter!" Those were the dulcet tones of my commanding officer.

And there he was — almost on cue. Dressed in cargo pants, white tee shirt and black leather jacket, he looked casual and relaxed. And not attractive at all. Uh-uh. No way. I put the welder down and lifted my hood. "Sir; hi!" I said. "How's Daniel?"

"Oh, he's gonna be fine. What are you doing?"

I knew better than to presume that he actually cared. I just didn't want him distracting me, so I decided to blind him with what he called 'techno-babble'. "Uhh … I'm getting ready to do a detailed analysis of the decay rate of naqadah within the reactor. It's really quite amazing. Unlike plutonium, naqadah actually has a …".

"A-ah!" The Colonel got a pained look on his face. "I'm on vacation!"

"Yes, sir." _Hah! One-nil to me._

"So are you."

_Subtle, mon Colonel._ "I know. It's not that I'm happy that Daniel's in excruciating pain or anything like that, but I've actually been looking forward to an opportunity like this for some time."

The Colonel grimaced. "You know, maybe it's just me, but I thought that when one actually got some leave, one actually left! Look, Daniel's recuping, Teal'c is off world visiting his kid somewhere. Personally, I have a date with a little lake in Minnesota where the bass grow that big." He opened his arms to indicate the size.

"Really," I said sarcastically. After nearly four years serving with Jack O'Neill, I'd gotten pretty good with the sarcasm.

"Oh yes! What I am describing here, Carter, involves a very special element."

I gestured to my equipment, trying not to smile. It was nice to see the Colonel so enthusiastic for something. "This is fun to me, sir."

"Well … If playing with your little reactor sounds better than exploring the lakes and natural beauty of Northern Minnesota, there's not much I can do."

"Was that an invitation … sir?" A small part of me wanted to go with him, but most of me balked.

"Nothing wrong with that is there?" the Colonel asked in a would-be innocent tone. "A couple of co-workers, friends if you will, fishing. It'd be fun."

It actually sounded nice. Maybe … No. Better not. Janet had been giving me some pretty meaningful looks lately, and after that whole Edora thing, I thought I'd better tread carefully around her for a while. Even the suspicion of improper conduct could ruin a career. "Wow. I appreciate the offer, sir," I said. "Really. Sounds great … but I should …".

"No sweat!" he interrupted. "See ya in a week and by all means, have fun."

The Colonel strolled out of my lab. I shook my head and bent back to my work. Then I paused. Actually … the hell with it. I could use a vacation, and maybe it was time for me to get a life outside of the SGC. Going to Minnesota was a good start, and I enjoyed spending time with the Colonel. He was funny and clever; I'd like to get to know him better.

I headed out into the corridor, looking for the Colonel.

I saw him strolling along ahead of me and jogged after him as he turned a corner. "Colonel!" I called.

He stopped and turned round.

And I … chickened out. "Uhh … Have a good time," I said.

"Land of sky blue waters? Loofahs. Yeah, sure ya betcha … snookums. Mosquitoes …".

A bright light surrounded the Colonel and he disappeared. For a second I was stymied, then I ran and hit the alarm.

* * *

_Between Seasons 3 and 4_

**P3X 234**

We'd sent Thor's stasis pod through the Stargate a couple days ago and had been dialing home every half hour or so. No joy. I kicked the unresponsive DHD out of sheer frustration. "Stupid, worthless, hunk of crap!" I yelled.

"Hey, take it easy, Carter!" the Colonel said, coming up from behind me. "You'll figure it out. You always do."

"Yeah?" Part of me was pleased at his confidence in me, part of me felt like it was just another responsibility. The job of the 'brainiac'. "Wish I had your faith, sir," I sighed.

"Hey …". He nudged me and passed a bottle of water over. "We've been in worse situations than this."

I couldn't deny that. But … "Don't you ever get tired of it?"

He squinted at me in the bright sunshine. "Carter?"

"The endless fighting … the battles … Don't you ever want a … regular life?" I sighed. "Or is it just me?"

"Carter." He looked at me seriously. "Don't kid yourself; we all want that sometimes." He took a drink of water. "But … we're doing good. Making a difference. It's important."

"Yeah." I opened the water bottle. "It's just … you've been nagging me for a while now to get a life. But you spend nearly as much time on the base as I do."

"Ah, it's different for me, Carter," he returned lightly. "For one thing; I'm higher ranked than you … much more paperwork." He grimaced, then smiled slightly. "Also, I've had the whole family thing … wife, kid, mortgage. And it was good while it lasted." He folded downward to lean against the DHD. "You deserve a chance to have the same."

"You deserve it too, sir," I said. I knew he blamed himself for his marriage falling apart, but to my mind, it took two to make — or break — a relationship. And even if he had been a rotten husband, which I doubted, no-one could deny how great a father he was.

Not 'had been' — 'was'. Two of the Colonel's "kids" were here with him right now and one was in the Infirmary. Several more were scattered across different worlds. Not that I saw him as a substitute father. He was my friend and I was proud to know him.

He gave a short cough and looked closely at me with his intense brown eyes. I returned the steady gaze, appreciating the rare openness of the man. "Maybe one day," he said. He touched my cheek gently, then got up, holding out a hand to yank me to my feet. "And now … back to work, Carter!"

"Yes, sir," I said, dusting off my pants. "And … thanks."

"Welcome," he replied. "Think I'll go and bug T for a while; maybe find out what that thing on his chin's about."

I laughed. "Just don't touch it this time, sir," I advised, recalling the ferocious glare the Colonel had received from the big Jaffa when he'd attempted to tug it.

"Yeah, sure, ya betcha!" he caroled and strolled away, hands stuffed in pockets.

I shook my head, then got back to work. I wasn't sure exactly what had happened, but something had … changed. Whether it was a change for good or for ill, I didn't know. Only time would tell.

**THE END**


End file.
